Holy Family Program CTE-CH125

Breakfast at hotel, then you will be escorted by a/c vehicle to start the Holy Family visit by the tour of Old Cairo. Visit the famous Hanging Church with its breathtaking icons and the Synagogue of Ben Ezra which marks the spot where Moses was believed to have been foun dby the Pharaoh's daughter. Then visit the cave under what is now the Greek cemetery of St. George where the holy Family hid from the soldiers of King Herod. Visit the old chuches of St. Barbara and St. Sergius. ( Convent of Abu Seifein : Subject to permission/authorization to visit). Then we will move to Maadi to visit the Virgin Mary church of Maadi on the Nile a Bishop from the Coptic church will show you the tunnel where it is thought the Holy Family escaped accross the Nile. He will also talk to you about the creatiion of the Holy Family Trail by the Coptic Church. Then we will continue to visit of the Holy Tree of St. Mary ( Shagret Mariam ) at Matariah (10km) where it is said by Moslem that the Holy Family was concealed from pursuing Roman Soldiers by spiders that wove a cocoon around them. At the end of your tour you will be escorted back to hotel.
Overnight in Cairo

Early morning Check-out from hotel, then travel to Mostorod (10 km) to a place known as al-Mahamma ( The bathing place ) by the thousands of pilgrims that flock there, the church at Mostorod is built on the site where it is said the holy family rested in a cave beneath a Pharaonic temple. That temple has been replaced by a beautiful church, but the cave remains and can be visited,alon with the healing well of Mary, credited with healing the ailments of hundreds of visitors.
Next,visit the fabulous ruins of Tell basta ( 55 km) , a field of fallen idols believed to have been toppled by the baby jesus, who was offended by the promiscuity that was taking place.
Continue bus trip to Sakha/Samanud (120 km). This northern Delta town is home to the footprint of Jesus,a stone impression of a foot believed to be that of the divine child,one that was left as the Holy Family passed through this area. Arrival to Alexandria (60km de Sakha)
Overnight at hotel.

After Breakfast, your tour in Alexandria will start with a visit to the Alexandria National Museum, the first Museum to be established on the most updated museum exhibition technology in Alexandria city. It comprises moer than 1800 archaeological pieces that narrate the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and modern history of Egypt. Among the displays are pieces picked up from the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria. Continue to the Catacombs of Kom El Shokafa, the largest known Roman Burial site in Egypt, consisting of Three tiers of tombs and chambers cut into the rock to a depth of about 35 meters. Construced in the 2nd century AD, probably as a family crypt, they Visit to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The revival of the Ancient Library of Alexandria is a leap in the history of mankind being a universal, public and modern center of culture, science and academic research. It will provide scholars and researchers with unique collections of research and development. Then visit to the Saint Mark Cathedral: Then visit St. Catherine Church of Alexandria where the king of Italy was buried while in exile during the second world war. The relics of St. Catherine, who was martyred under the reign of the emperor Maximinus lay in the S. Catherine Monastery in the Sinai.
Overnight in Alexandria

After breakfast check-out from hotel, then Departure back to Cairo through the desert route via Wadi Al Natrun(110 km from Alexandria to the Valley of Natron).oral tradition says that Jesus stood at the edge of the raw Western desert and told his mother that someday this desert would be filled with spiritual fighters. Since those days thousands of monks have lived and worshipped in this area. Wisit the monasteries of al Sorian, al Baramose and if permission is granted, the monastery of Abu Makar. These are functioning monasteries where you will meet monks who will colourfully present the history of these incredible bastins of spirituality, places where jesus was said to have predicted the presence of spiritual fighters almost 2000 years ago.
Arrival in Cairo (115km from Wadi el Natroun ) Our CTE tour manager will assist you during the check-in process at your hotel
Overnight in Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel , then we will start our day by visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx : These magnificent structures are the only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the world. It is here that you will visit history's first Pyramid Sakkara, and ponder life at it's enormous necropolis. Visit to the necropolis of Sakkara:at vast Sakkara you will see the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser|(Djeser),the first free standing stone structure in the world and the oldest knows of Egypt's 120 Pyramids. Old Kingdom tombs, mastabas and pyramids abound in this funerary comples that includes the legendary Serapeum where the sacred bulls of Apis were buried. After the tour you will be escorted back to your hotel
Overnight in Cairo

Breakfast at the Hotel , then visit the Church of Zeitoun, where a vision of Mary in 1968 was seen for more than 3 months, even by President Nasser. A priest will show pictures of this amazing vision. Visit to the Cathedral of St. Mark in Ezbekiah: the oldest cathedral in Cairo in Clot Bey. Then we will move to visit the Egyptian Museum: you will be escorted on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The Museum houses the world's greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, including 12 rooms filled with golden treasures from the world-famous tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamen. Here a guide will take you on a tour of the relics of Ancient Egypt that have a strong connection with Christianity. Here you will see Pharaonic symbols used by modern day Christians and hear about ancient rituals used even today in Church series. Back to hotel at the end of the tour
Overnight in Cairo

After Breakfast check-out from hotel, then you be escorted by /c vehicle to El Minia, where you will visit two extraordinary sites: Ashmounayn and Gabel el Teir, both famous for visits by the holy family. Gabel El Teir one of the most famous and beautuful site on the Holy Family Trail,the mountainside monastery buit on the site of the cave where the Holy Familyis thought to have stayed as tthey fled upriver from the pursuing soldiers.. What you will see now are impressive remnants from the many civilizations that have occupied this spot since before and after the visit of the Holy Family. Called Hermopolis by the Greeks who built tall Corinthian pillar that still stand proudly, Ashmunayn couuntains exquisite examples of Pharaonic ruins and a massive undergroud basilica that was built in the fifth century. A visit to this impressive site and its small museum will let you see and feel what life was like 2000 years ago.
Overnight at Hotel in Minia.

After breakfast Check-out from hotel, then we will start our day by following the desert road south to Deir al muharraq (Mountain of Fire) on your comfortable air conditioned bus (148km). Once in Deir al Muharraq you will see the holiest spot in all of Egypt for Christians, the stone altar beleived to be the bed of Jesus. Surrounded by an active monastery with 800 monks,the comples contains many icons and ancient relics believed to be among the most important and impressive in all of Egypt. This is the area where the Holy Fmily lived over 6 months. After a visit to the monastery's Castle keep, you will leave the monastery for a trip to Dronka (20 km south west of Assiut) one of Egypt's largest and most impressive pilgrimage sites, and one that marks the spot where the Holy Family boarded a boat for their return to the Holy lands. A monastery has been build mountain-top of Dronka. After that we will be escorted to the hotel for check-in
Overnight in Assuit

After breakfast Check-out from hotel, then you will be escorted by a/c vehicle to Cairo via the Fayoum Oasis (298 km from Assuiut) and if time permists, city tour of Fayoum.
Arrival in Cairo ( 105 km from Assiut) Our tour manager will assist you during the Check-in process at your hotel
Overnight in Cairo

Transfer to Cairo airport for your final departure.